


What Do They Know?

by Alannada



Category: InuYasha - A Feudal Fairy Tale
Genre: Acceptance, Gen, Mention of Child Abuse, Monologue, Rants, bottom line people are judgemental d1cks, terrible insight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:02:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26547958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alannada/pseuds/Alannada
Summary: "I hear them talking. They whisper and judge me behind my back."
Comments: 9
Kudos: 15
Collections: Inuyasha's Seven Deadly Sins





	1. 1. Sloth.

**Author's Note:**

> A small collection for Inuyasha's Seven Deadly Sins   
> 9/20 Sloth — 9/21 Wrath — 9/22 Envy — 9/23 Greed — 9/24 Pride — 9/25 Gluttony — 9/26 Lust
> 
> Beta: Fawn_Eyed_Girl - thank you so much for your help!

"It's so easy to judge others," said a tiny, but firm, voice in the dark. It sounded bitter and angry. There was a tremble to the words, as if the one speaking them was barely keeping their emotions in check, as if they wanted to cry and yell. The youthful quality of the voice made the words sharp.

A figure stood in a shadowy place: a short silhouette moving slightly against the stale darkness. They wore a pearly white fox mask on their face, orange hair surrounding it in a mess of tangled strands that had gotten loose from a ponytail.

"They call me a sloth," said the tiny voice, a bit distorted by the mask. "They call me a slacker. They call me weak and dependent. They sometimes even call me an affection sucker."

A tail fluffed out in outrage.

"They hold it against me that I'm meek and my power is small. My tricks aren't many and I easily lose focus, so they fall apart." A small hand moved and a ribbon rose from the palm, floating upwards and then falling to the ground when the figure spoke again.

"I'm clingy, they say. I nag her for snacks, pets, attention, love, and protection. I wait for her to hand me my food; I rely on her to make sure my crayons are packed up before we break camp. They complain I can't sit still unless I'm using more of my pack as a means of transportation — riding on their shoulders. They say I use him as a shield when I'm in trouble, just to tease and bother him when I'm bored—just so I can anger him enough for him to chase me and make her stand up for me, and then humiliate him. They complain I don't help around the village, that I just lead their children to do mischief and not work. They say my wicked youkai nature marred the pure, obedient children when I played with them."

The thin shoulders of the figure in the dark slumped as if the person behind the mask just burned out all their anger and was left with bitter sadness.

"No one ever pauses for a minute to think about why I'm clingy and dependent, and weak, and want to play. It's easier to call me Shippou, the lazy fox. The sloth of the jewel shard hunting pack.

"No one seems to grasp that I'm just a kit. I'm a youkai, but I am still just a child, and my parents left me alone far too early to fend for myself in this big, scary world. I guess youkai children don't deserve to be kids in their eyes."

There was a shaky inhale of breath, as the figure paused for a moment, lowering their head.

"I was grieving my father's death, a death I had witnessed, and was doing my best to survive. It had been weeks before I met them. They were the first ones that didn't try to kill and eat me. They were the first ones who weren't afraid of my magic and didn't try to harm me. I mean I got into trouble with them at first, but that was my fault for stealing their jewel shards."

Their head lifted, and one could see a glint of emerald irises in the cut eyes of the fox mask.

"They accepted me into their pack. Don't be fooled by his barks of denial: he accepted me just as fast as she did, otherwise I'd never have been allowed to stay. And then, when the pack grew and traveled, I never was denied the place I held among them, a place in the pack that was mostly made up of humans, a pack that had no blood bounds. Yet, I never was denied the attention and affection of the pack mates, despite those who judged, whispering and glaring wherever we went."

The small arms wrapped around the slightly trembling frame as the figure went on, this time with more passion.

"Is it so strange for a child to want the attention and the love of their caretaker? Is it so weird that a kid wants to sleep with them, to ward off nightmares and reassure themselves that they aren't alone? Is it so odd that a child wants to play, to laugh, to rough house, and to cuddle? Is it unheard of that a child gets scared of being lost and lonely, so they stick as close to their pack as possible, even riding on their shoulders?"

There was a tremble in their voice as they almost yelled into the darkness.

"Children are to be loved! Not to be called names only because they got a second chance to be children! Children are to be taught, not to be judged because they have to learn stuff! Children are to be spoiled, cuddled and played with!"

A tiny clawed hand reached up and removed the fox mask, showing a small, triangular face of a boy, with tears of determination and hurt in his green eyes, with trembling lips and flushed cheeks. The boy crossed his arms in front of his chest, mimicking one of his caretakers. Next time the boy spoke, his voice was stronger, reinforced with bravado and the special kind of solemness only kids can emulate.

"Next time you see me... Maybe try to see the whole picture, before you start judging a fox by their paw prints."


	2. 4. Greed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no Wrath or Envy enties, so you all get Greed early :D

A man sat cross-legged under a plum tree in full bloom. The man's robes and the lotus pose his body was in indicated he was a monk meditating. His mouth moved as he whispered, but his words weren't mantras to help him achieve enlightenment.

"Yes, I am aware that the rumors are rather unflattering. I am aware people say a lot of very unkind things about me. I am truly a misunderstood individual, but alas, that is the fate that holy men have to face to ensure the betterment of the world and of humans."

The monk bowed his head, that was not shaved for some reason.

"It's really annoying at times, because they often don't even try to lower their voices when they speak their assumptions and opinions. They can't honestly think I can't see their judging glares that shift to humble pleading when I turn my head."

The monk sighed and relaxed in his meditative pose.

"It's really unbecoming how they first show off their wealth and then pretend they have no coin to pay for my assistance. How greedy humans can be, especially when they already have a big pile of gold in their treasury," he mused aloud. His dark eyes looked around the orchard behind Lady Kaede's hut, the lovely fruit trees and herbs a sign of the attention given to this area by skilled hands.

"Why can't people be honest and generous for a change? They want their houses cleansed and bad energies exorcised, they want youkai gone from their lands, they want me to do my work well, but they don't want to pay me for my services once the work is done. Honestly, how do they think I should support myself if not by the gifts of gratitude they give?

"When I take some extra stuff from them, it's just to teach them that lying and deceiving is not the right way," the monk stated firmly. "I am teaching them a lesson in humility and wisdom. They should pay me for that, too. I mean lessons not paid for are prone to be forgotten more easily."

The man reached up, stretching his arms before he tugged the ties of his ponytail, adjusting it a bit. Then he allowed his hands to fall to his knees.

"Life is not fair. People aren't fair. Those who hoard great wealth often forget to share with those who have little or nothing at all, which is a bad thing. I always remember to share. I mean, I sell all the taken items in the next village, so I can help the local economy thrive!

"But," the monk sighed again, "for some reason many find it... annoying... that I dedicate myself to giving them the lessons in humility and honesty. They call me greedy, while they hide their belongings behind stone walls and locks. I don't hold to any of my possessions, at least not for long."

The man put a hand to his chest.

"I'm taking their money and other worldly possessions to show them that they can live without them. It's wrong to get attached to worldly things like wealth and fancy stuff. So, you see, they are sinning, collecting great fortunes. It's not a surprise that karma gets to them eventually for their foolish actions, and that a good-hearted monk relieves them of some of their goods, just to show them the right way of living. I am a martyr here: a true man of dedication. I will free them from the shackles of their bad habits and help them achieve enlightenment, even if I have to carry the burden of many coins weighing down my pouches."

The man smiled almost shyly, innocence shining in his eyes.

"I am only a humble servant of the heavens. I go where fate leads me; I help those in need. I fight bad youkai, I cleanse places and people, I exorcise ominous clouds of bad luck. I also lessen the burden of wealth on some. I do it because it is the right thing to do. I don't keep the spoils for long, anyway. I use the obtained money to fund my friends and my travels, so we can defend the weak. I donate to the monasteries, usually in jugs of sake when it's my home monastery. I give some to the poor people we meet on our way. I help the merchants make a honest living, I keep the yen moving from hand to hand instead of hiding it away."

He rubbed his hands together and smiled.

"See? I am a nice guy! A guy you can entrust your savings to! So, don't be shy, hand them over! I will read your palm after I clean it of the coins!"


	3. 5. Pride

A small fire burned in the middle of a cave. It was too little to ward off the damp chill of the rocky walls, and it wasn't strong enough to illuminate the whole area, leaving the far corners of the cave shrouded in darkness. Shadows danced across the nearest walls. Firelight flashed against the uneveness of the cave, twinkling in streaks of quartz and other minerals.

A man sat a small distance from the flames, his back turned, so he faced the dark mouth of the cave. Two other men slept curled near to the fire, obviously trusting that the one awake would keep them safe as they rested.

"They talk," the man said slowly, as if to himself. His blue eyes flashed in his shadowed face, reflecting the dim light of the moonlight that came from the outside. "They whisper among themselves. They think I don't hear or don't care.

"It's so easy for them, so easy to judge others," he muttered, and shook his head, his ponytail swaying. "They don't even need any real information; they just can go on their assumptions pulled out of their collective ass."

He grit his teeth and balled his fists. "I hate when people tell me what I think! I hate when some weak ass strangers close their eyes on stuff and scream on top of their voice so as to not hear any explanations. I hate the idiots!"

One of the sleeping men snored louder and moved under his fur covering. The sitting man cast a glance back to make sure his companions were still asleep. His voice now was hushed, but full of anger and passion, his cold eyes blazing with hurt and ire.

"They say I am not a good leader. That I am a terrible alpha of a pack. That I don't care for my pack mates. That I am weak and hide behind their backs. That I don't want to take responsibility for their actions. That I am unable to exact my rule over the wolves, that I am too weak to protect my pack. That I have to rely on the borrowed power of the shards to be of any use to the pack, and that even with the shards, I couldn't save those that were slain by that damn wench."

He spat as if the mere thought of that woman brought a bad taste to his mouth.

"They say I don't want to avenge my fallen comrades, that I just want to stroke my own hurt ego and hide the fact that it was my fault.They say that I distract myself, running around and pretending to court the miko. They say my word is nothing because I discarded my promise to Ayame.

"They say I want power for myself. They say it's why I use the shards. And that I'd use Kagome to get more shards. They strip me of my honor, of my real power, of my ability to lead as they paint me with the worst possible brush, just so they can feel better themselves as they go about their pathetic excuses for lives."

Blue eyes glared at nothing in particular.

"They never ask what I feel or what I want. They just assume what is in my head when I track Naraku, when I keep in touch with my allies, when I try to smile so my remaining pack can find some peace of mind. They say that Kagura wounded my pride by killing my pack mates. They say I want to kill her for that. They say I am too arrogant, that I'm too weak to exact my revenge on Naraku. They say that I'm too blind to real power and only delude myself into thinking that I am stronger than mutt face or his asshole of a brother."

The man sighed and shook his head.

"They say it's my fault Kagura killed so many of my pack, because I didn't stop them. They don’t realize that wolf pack leaders aren't tyrants. I told them I didn't approve of their plans, but I couldn't stop them from going, from getting stronger. Still..." the man's shoulders slumped, head lowered. "I feel guilty about what happened to them. I feel sad for not trying harder, for not speaking more with them, for not convincing them to stay. But I wanted my pack to be stronger too. I wanted... And now all I have is revenge.

"I am not a saint. I do make mistakes, mistakes that can be deadly to my followers and me. We accept that risk," he added slowly after a long pause. "I will avenge my pack mates Kagura killed. I will do all I can to kill Naraku.

"In the meantime, I will also piss off mutt-face, pretending to have plans to get his woman. Maybe he will finally do something decisive and marry her already." A small smirk appeared on his lips. "What? A man set on avenging his comrades has the right to have other objectives too, you know. I am not a one-dimensional person, you know."

He straightened his back and looked ahead with determination.

"I swear, I will have my revenge. My pack mates will be proud of me in the afterlife, knowing that I aided in bringing down their killer. I will then go and marry Ayame, so we can become the strongest alpha pair that wolf youkai ever had. I will work on getting stronger, so I can protect the future, the cubs. No matter what they say—I am Kouga of the wolf tribe, the fastest and strongest of the wolves of this land. I am not arrogant and prideful; I'm just proud of who I am and what I am going to be."


	4. 6. Gluttony

Trees of a wild forest swayed on a gentle night breeze. There were no sudden noises besides those made by owls and other night hunters chasing their prey. The autumn was barely there: most of the trees still retained their green leaves and only the drying grasses warned of the impending winter.

Under a particularly aged tree, a figure crouched, resting their weight on their feet and on the knuckles of their hands. A pair of downy white ears twitched and twisted, keen to pick up the rustling of leaves. A sheathed sword could be mistaken in the dark for a thick, stiff tail. Despite the long white hair and bright red clothing, the figure was almost impossible to see, motionless and quiet, with their head bowed to hide their blazing yellow eyes.

"They think my ears are just a decoration. A sign of what I am, a clear signal to each and every one of them to be wary and keep their distance. Time and time again, they forget that people like me have a wide hearing range and then act shocked when I remind them I can hear them, that I am aware of their whispering. Wherever I go, they hiss their nonsense, not paying attention or caring that I can hear. And when I remind them, they are offended that I am eavesdropping. And then my pack is surprised I'm in a crappy mood every time we have to deal with villagers."

The young male voice was more akin to an annoyed growl, a bark of irritation, low and full of barely controlled emotions. At the last sentence he shook his head.

"They say I eat like a starved pig, like a dog that is kept hungry to be made into an inugami. They say I have no appreciation for the quality of the food or the work that goes into making it. In the beginning, even the members of my pack spouted that nonsense, but then they got wiser than that. They had seen how the 'grateful' villagers gave me worse food while giving them normal things to eat."

"They call me a barbaric glutton—the morons! They call me a savage beast that knows nothing of manners, of politeness, of humble gratitude. Damn fools, all of them!" The figure dug their claws in the dry leaves and soil, grumbling curses under their breath. "They say beasts like me understand only strength and low needs, that all hanyou are simple and closer to animals than real people."

The dog-eared man under the aged tree sat down and hugged his sword to his chest, glaring around.

"Even she and the rest of my pack at first tried to influence my habits, saying that I was causing humans to have a poor image of hanyou because of my bad manners. But then they all saw that no matter how I behaved, the damn fools already had a preconceived notion of how a hanyou abomination acted. By contradicting their vision of a barbaric beast, I just made them try and come up with some twisted, dark ideas that only gossiping dumbasses could come up with."

The puppy ears lowered on top of his head.

"I prefer to be greedy and uncouth than a manipulative jackass."

The man sat silent for a moment before he lifted his head again, his golden eyes firm and defiant.

"Keh! What do they know? The dumbasses." The man crossed his arms over his chest, his hands hidden in his sleeves. "They know nothing! They didn't go through years of living off on scraps as a kid! Sure, they sometimes had to endure weeks or a season of bad crops or some shit happening to their stores, but that's all. They always could turn to their kin for help and wouldn't be chased with pitchforks and arrows."

"As kids, they didn't have to dig through rotting trash to find something that could be eaten. They never had to fight rats for half-eaten-by-ants bird heads. They weren't offered poisoned food by humans while their mother was still alive. They always knew when their next meal would be, even if it would be a poor one. They could hope for help of their kin. I never had that luxury as a pup.

"I had to go for days without anything to eat. I had to watch other kids get sweets and tasty morsels, while I got to be chased away by angry mobs. I had to teach myself how to hunt; I had to learn how to kill when I still had my milk teeth. Otherwise, I wouldn't survive. I learned to eat when I had a chance and eat my fill, for no one knew when the next meal would come.

"All I had was the robe I wore and a small thing of my mother's. I never got gifts for the new year; I never got coins to spend during a festival. When I ate something nice, I did that fast, before anyone could stop me, take my food away from me, or beat me for stealing it, even if it wasn't stolen.

"That is why all that I have now, I hold dear to me. It's not much, but I don't care: it's a treasure to me. I will guard my humans and my youkai fiercely, putting my life on the line, because I am the greedy half-breed that has nothing more precious than the bonds they made with me. I will fight for the food she so freely gives, for the acceptance they all show me. I will be greedy and want more of that, because I never had it before."

The man straightened his back, proud and defiant, fierce and determined.

"I am a glutton, they say, but I don't give a damn. The food I eat gives me energy to protect what's mine to protect. The food I eat gives me energy to defy their idiotic prejudice. The food that my pack shares with me is the sign of their acceptance, and I will accept it, knowing there will be no poison in it. Well, unless Kagome's mom overdoes it with the curry again..."


	5. 7. Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mention of minor abuse

The moonless night covered the land in her darkness. The stars seemed to dance in the sky as the air absorbed the heat and moisture from the ground and woods that covered the hills. In a meadow that was housing a small lake, an unlikely camp was located, surrounded by the calm, soothing silence. Only leaves dared to rustle on the wind around the meadow. No animal made a sound, not wishing to disturb those sleeping near the bank of the lake.

A kappa snorted softly, sprawled out next to a two-headed dragon, that rested barely a few paces away from the water. A bit higher on the grassy bank, a small human girl slumbered peacefully. A white fur pelt coiled around her protectively and one of her tiny hands was fisted in the luxurious mokomoko, as if she actually found the touch reassuring. The young, defenseless human slept peacefully, with no sign of distress on her face, despite the fact that her head was resting in the lap of the most dangerous and powerful being in the land.

An elegant, clawed hand hovered over the face of the human, a long finger gently brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. A pair of cold, calm eyes peered down at the smile that graced her lips.

The features of the daiyoukai watching over the girl and the two weaker youkai were as stoic as ever, but there was a certain softness to his gaze, a barely there ghost of a smile upon his lips. Then, the golden eyes lifted from the human child's face and the softness disappeared as if it had never been there before.

"The inferior beings foolishly speak of things they have no idea about. They have the insolence to do so in this lord's proximity, daring him to take action and end their pathetic excuses for life. The only reason many of them still walk the lands is that this one finds no honor and pride in slaying entities barely stronger than worms."

The voice was cold and quiet. Somehow it felt as if even the wind was afraid to blow and play with the leaves of the trees around the meadow. The man's face remained impassive and no surge of youki indicated his anger, but the hot summer night would surely become chilly to anyone who would have heard these words.

"The lesser beings dare to speak so callously about this lord's young ward and this one. They dare to judge this lord and his ward, having no inkling about the relationship we share. How can they draw breath to speak such nonsense is beyond this one's understanding."

The daiyoukai shook his head. Not even a strand of his silky white hair fell out of place. His whole being seemed to shine in the dark; it was like the moon itself bestowed upon this youkai lord its radiance for the night.

"They know nothing, comprehend nothing; their opinion is worth less than nothing to this one. But still... This one will never rest to shield young Rin from hearing their words. Their insignificant words are too rough, too cruel, too hateful to be heard by the ward of the Lord of the West and to cause her smile to falter. This one refuses to allow that transgression."

The mokomoko wrapped tighter around the sleeping child.

"This one does not care what vermin like them say about him. This lord is truly powerful and cruel, calculating and demanding. This lord will slay them without remorse if he sees fit. This lord will rule over them and dominate them; he will not be fooled by their words, nor will he be harmed by them."

The hand moved again to comb his lithe fingers through the dark hair of the girl.

"But this one's ward is fragile and gentle, naive and innocent. She would take the harsh words to her heart and they would taint her. They would make her smile dull and her eyes empty. They would fill her heart with sorrow and confusion. This one shall never let this happen to Rin. He will slay any and all who dare to speak so callously about the bond that exists between Rin and this Sesshomaru."

His voice sounded almost serene as he spoke, his words firm and carrying the weight of an oath. The white-haired man was not one to speak idle promises. 

"They say Rin is this lord's toy, a pet to entertain him for a time before being discarded," he said, barely audibly, glancing down to make sure his charge was deeply asleep. The tip of his mokomoko covered her ear just in case. "They say this lord keeps his ward close so he can satisfy his youkai lust in her not yet bloomed body. They say this lord hurts his ward and feels no remorse, because that is what youkai do."

The massive youki surrounding the man swirled in rage.

"How dare they judge this one, having no knowledge of this one's relationship to his ward. How dare they think even for a moment that this one would harm a child in such a manner? How dare they still be alive, entertaining such wicked, demented thoughts that this one would strip a child of their innocence? How dare they judge this Sesshomaru using their twisted morals and assumptions?

"How dare they say that this lord, her guardian, would take such liberties with his charge? How dare they assume that any harm would come her way in this lord's care - while it had been in a human village where she had been mistreated, hurt and killed. It was not this one who had sated his lust with the child that couldn't speak and fight back. It was not this lord who took laughter and words from Rin. It was not this lord who neglected the suffering child. How dare they judge me, when they are at fault!"

He stopped when the scent of poison burning grass came to his nose. He glanced to his hand; his claws were dripping green poison on the grass next to his thigh. He immediately controlled the flow of the acidic liquid. His voice was softer when he spoke again.

"This one revived her. This one revived her laughter and gave her back her words. This lord protects and provides for his ward. Rin is this one's precious ward. She is like a daughter of this one, even if she didn't come from this one's loins. She is... She is this Sesshomaru's Rin. And she will be protected and she will grow strong, and she will never again forget how to talk and laugh, how to be a child.

"If I lust for anything concerning Rin," he whispered, his gaze dropping to the smiling child sleeping close to him. "It is not the pleasure of flesh. I lust—I need—her to follow me by her own will, to laugh and talk to this lord with no fear. This lord needs her to trust him and dance around him, to give him insignificant things as if they were most precious gifts. This lord is perfect and has no equal. His ward is perfect and she will be known in the lands as the most esteemed ward of the Lord of the West, the radiant evening star that reminds this Sesshomaru this world isn't fully rotten."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and reviewing!

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer - I don't own Inuyasha, duh.  
> English isn't my first language. I'm doing my best to keep my fics mistake-free, but if you find any - please - let me know.


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